Lyndall Mitchell is an accredited coach, speaker, author and consultant with over 20 years’ experience and expertise in the business and healthcare sectors. She is the Founder of the award-winning Aurora Spa Group and is a sought after commentator on business and wellness, recently featuring in the Australian Financial Review, the Today Show and the Sydney Morning Herald. Her Masterclass of Wellness, developed in 2015 with fellow coach Shannah Kennedy has toured Australia and given the opportunity for hundreds of executives to learn about wellness, mindfulness and stress reduction. Through her spas, coaching and speaking, Lyndall helps clients achieve their biggest, best and happiest lives.

Hi Lyndall! Thank you for being part of our Strong Healthy Women Interview Series, where we are shining a light on the importance of self-care, not as an indulgence but a necessity to reduce stress, overwhelm and general health issues.

While each day varies, what does an ideal day look like for you? Do you have any routines to kick-start your day?

The way I start the day and end the day are what I like to call the bookends of my day. These are morning and evening rituals that support my health and well-being. During the day we all have roles and routines where we need flexibility, however the start and the end of the day are under our control. That means that I can harness the morning and evenings to create rituals that support my wellbeing physically and mentally. To give you an idea of what this looks like:

Morning routine – 5:30am movement of some type (I have a wellness tapas menu of options here including walking with girlfriends, walking with audio book, running, yoga or meditation) then it is hydration and supplementation (the essential vitamins and supplements that help my health). Then I shower with our ASPAR Grapefruit & Seaweed Revitalising Body Cleanser. I use this as my morning kick-start as it only takes 22 seconds for the positive effects of the essential oil to have an impact on your brain. So, while I shower I inhale the pure essential oils of the body cleanser and that’s to energise me ready for the day.

Evening routine– 8:30pm an outdoor spa (in our Enviroswim pool & spa – which has no chemicals) this is under the stars and it is really special family time. I always finish with a cold plunge in our pool to supercharge my circulation. I then do a 9pm meditation, journal “what I am grateful for”, then apply my ASPAR Rosemary & Clove Thermal Balm on my neck and shoulders, my ASPAR Vanilla and Honey Lip Balm and some Kerstin Florian Neroli Facial Oil. Once I have done this I feel like it just slowly unwinds my body and mind so I am ready for a deep, restorative sleep.

I also light candles around our house so we create that unwinding environment for the family.

As a wellness coach, what do you think are the most common health and well-being challenges your clients face and what is your advice to help them overcome those?

I think we are in an era of information overload and so many clients are confused and getting overwhelmed with information. Technology has come in with all the benefits of flexibility and accessibility however what I see are clients without boundaries. We can be accessible 24/7 if we choose to and this leaves people feeling guilty for not being accessible. This can create a spiral of health issues, starting with reduced quality and quantity of sleep, which leads to poor choices with food and no energy for movement, not to mention the impact on your productivity throughout the day. This can also contribute to procrastination and rumination and ultimately people not achieving their goals or not even setting goals.

Create technology boundaries - when do you switch off and when do you switch on

Remember that you phone is your servant not your master

Load some free apps on your phone that support your health like Insight Timer and then you can take a 1 minute pause at work and listen to a guided meditation to reset you stress levels

Between your career, business and family life, how do you keep your own health at the forefront when life becomes too busy?

I have learnt over the years the importance of boundaries. I have made a career of looking after others in the spa and retreat industry so I have to be careful to balance and protect my health because I have seen firsthand so many clients hit burnout. I use my values as guideposts and I aim to always live authentically aligned to my values and make decisions based on these. That means constantly revisiting these. My 3 values are health, family happiness and economic security. I have also learnt a word I previously hadn’t used that often which is “NO”. Now I say no more often when it doesn’t work for me or my family.

You’re no stranger to the spa and wellness world, tell us, have you ever taken a holiday specifically for your well-being? If so where did you go and what did you do?

For the last 18 years, I have taken an annual retreat to top up my tank. Being in the spa and retreat industry I am incredibly lucky to have experienced some incredible retreats and spas around the globe. For me I love Kamalaya health retreat in Koh Samui. The retreat is built sympathetically with nature and makes the most of this spectacular landscape and idyllic view. You step into this tranquil haven and your body and mind completely surrenders. The nourishing food, super cleansing elixirs, incredible classes, soulful treatments and the blissful environment are all part of this phenomenal retreat. After my 7 night stay I always feel like every cell in my body has been recharged and I am boosted with vitality and energy. Add Kamalaya to your retreat list if you would like the perfect place to pause and refuel, I certainly have it booked in as an annual retreat.

Every woman's idea of self-care is different, please tell us about yours?

For me, I have never seen having a treatment as a luxury I see it as an essential part to self-care that allows me to be more creative, focused and ultimately happier. These are all vital elements to me being my best personally and professionally. For our clients, we see how they flourish and thrive when they have self-care as a regular part of their nonnegotiable foundations. You don’t go the gym once and think you are going to be fit forever, similarly you don’t have one massage and think you will be relaxed forever. It is a practice of self-care that is regular and cumulative which you keep building on.